Pride
by TearStar
Summary: Kurama walks up to Yusuke and desperately asked him out. But why just now? After all these years?


**Pride**

**By TearStar**

I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho…

14

Flashing screens, beeping sounds, and crowded shops are Yusuke's companion in his daily, normal, teen life. The dimly lit arcade shops, that swarm of students from different schools, is where Yusuke feels free. Where he could be himself; be a normal teenager; a big break from being a spiritual detective…

"Oh man! I was so close."

He exclaimed as a red, bold-lettered 'GAME OVER' flashed on his screen.

"Yusuke."

Yusuke looked behind him and saw Kurama standing there.

"Hey, foxboy! I never knew you play here."

"Can we talk outside?"

"…Ok."

Yusuke answered with suspicion. Whenever Kurama talks like that, there's something serious going on. Kurama sat on the sidewalk bench while Yusuke leaned on a tree near it.

"Why'd you brought me out here?" –Yusuke cut the chase.

"Will you go out on a date with me tonight at 6?"

Yusuke's jaw dropped and his eyes popped out. That was the least thing he expected from Kurama. Actually, he never really thought of Kurama saying that. He blinked repeatedly, hoping to bat away the seeming illusion of speech.

"Say what?"

"Will you go out on a date with me tonight at 6?"

A quiet one minute passed before Yusuke finally spoke…

"Foxboy… you know… I'm not into guys."

"Please."

"God. Don't beg, Kurama."

"Please, Yusuke. Even just for an hour." –Kurama desperately said.

"N-No…Sorry. I'll go back inside."

Yusuke left with a sigh and started walking back into the shop. Kurama looked down and clenched his fists. He took in a deep breath and caught up with Yusuke.

"Yusuke!" –he grabbed the detective's hands. "I've liked you for so long now, Yusuke. I tried keeping it to myself but the circumstance forced me to go up to you and ask you out… so please, say yes."

Kurama went on confessing…

"Y-You like me for so long now?"

"Yes… sorry. I can't help it. Just go out with me."

"Well… I like you too… but not the way you do to me… I like you as a friend, Kurama."

"I'm not saying that after this we should be boyfriends. All I'm asking a date."

Yusuke's eyebrows are knotted now and his mind is arguing…

'_I can't do that! If I was seen dating a guy, my reputation would be ruined… the goons here won't fear me anymore… and I'm not gay!... sorry, Kurama… I just can't._'

"Yusuke?" –Kurama shook his hands.

"Ah…" –Yusuke snatched his hands away from the fox's hold. "I have a…"

'_Oh God, save me!_' –Yusuke prayed in his mind for rescue… and…

"Oi, Urameshi!"

Yusuke looked back and saw Kuwabara approaching. '_Oh thanks!_'

"Oh, Kurama's also here. Don't tell me- Urameshi! You influenced good Kurama to skip classes and just play arcades?!?"

"I did not! What took you so long? Let's go!"

"Where are we-"

"Shh… ah, see Kurama, me and Kuwabara have a test tomorrow. We decided to review together… we're going. Bye!"

Yusuke dragged Kuwabara and ran as fast as he could.

"Y-Yusuke!!!" –Kurama tried chasing them but to no avail…

14

"What was that about?!?" –Kuwabara asked as he massages his stretched muscles. "And we don't have a test tomorrow!"

"You just saved me, baka."

"From… Kurama? Why? Did he return to be a bad guy???"

"No… he…he was asking me out."

Kuwabara raised an eyebrow. "Oh! Just as I thought. Kurama is 'that' type of guy."

"You know about him?"

"Yeah! Duh! I always catch him glimpsing at you from a distance."

Yusuke sulked and hated himself. The baka noticed but he, himself, didn't. He then realized Kurama really likes him.

14

Botan kept pacing back and forth in the castle's hallway for minutes now; pouting and stomping. She was waiting to go out the castle and meet Yusuke.

"Oh, I hope Yusuke said yes. Please say yes, Yusuke."

Botan overheard about Kurama and felt pity for the in-love guy. She paced once more when the gatekeepers were summoned to a meeting; the gate was left unguarded. Once the keepers were out of sight, Botan brought out her ore and flew out.

14

Yusuke spent some time at Kuwabara's house. Watched primetime, played Kuwabara's new PS, ate Kuwabara's dinner, crashed his room, and finally decided to go home. He walked home, still puzzled on Kurama's frantic act to ask him out.

After a few moments of walking and thinking, he reached his home only to find his room was sneaked into by Botan. Botan noticed him and looked at her watch…

"Why are you here, Yusuke?!?"

"…Why not? This is MY room!!!"

"No! What I mean is that… you turned down Kurama, didn't you?"

"You knew about that?"

Botan screamed at him. "You should've said yes!"

"I don't like guys."

"You should've… it's his last chance!!!" –Botan said with teary eyes.

"..What do you mean last chance?"

"You idiot! Baka! Stupid, dense detective!!! Kurama will die tonight!"

"That's not a good joke!"

"I'm not joking!" –then Botan started to cry. "He was put to trial for his crimes during his Youko days, and he was sentenced to death. This day is his last day alive…And his last and only wish was to spend it with you!!! But you turned him down…"

…That was a big hit on Yusuke's head.

"Koenma didn't do- he didn't even tell me! Why-Why didn't you tell me?!? Where? When is it???"

"Tonight at 10, at the castle's central ground."

Yusuke looked at his watch and saw it's just 5 minutes before ten.

"No!... come on, Botan!"

"But we won't make it-"

"We will make it!!!"

14

Sounds of chains comforted his heart. The sight of ogres filled his eyes… And three of them are holding a spear…His coming death clenched even tighter to his throat.

Kurama was escorted by two lady messengers to the central ground. He blinked his eyes and smiled on his stupid thoughts…

'_I thought slow motions are just for love, sweet, romantic scenes. I never thought it's the same with walking towards your death…_'

He then opened his despaired, pained eyes to face the truth… he only wished to be happy on his last day, but he didn't. And he regretted asking Yusuke out. He wished he didn't tell him. He wished he just did what he did before: watch Yusuke from a distance. Now, he was turned down. His wish wasn't granted. And he had left a bad memory on Yusuke…

"Kurama!"

Koenma tapped his shoulder. "I-I'm sorry."

"It's ok. It was the right thing. My crimes as Youko are truly unforgivable… though I was hoping my good deeds would weigh them out… I realized you can't escape the past. It's already there. The past is real, and no memory other than the past remains… farewell, Koenma. And please, tell the others the same."

"Yes."

The sound of chimes officially announced the start of Kurama's execution. He was helped up on the platform. The officials begun chanting a prayer; and the black-hooded ogres readied their spears…

"Ready…"

"Aim…"

Kurama closed his eyes, accepting his demise…

"Thrust!" "Kurama!!!"

'_Yusuke?_' Kurama opened his eyes and saw Yusuke reaching out to him. He smiled and reached out too. The moment he raised his hand from the ground, the three spears pierced through his heart…

"NOOOO!!!!"

Yusuke jumped off Botan's ore. He ran to Kurama just in time to catch the fox's body.

"Kurama?… wake up!... we still have a date, right?" –Yusuke sniffed and tried to fight the tears back but it flowed freely from his regretful eyes… "I-I was so late, s-sorry. Our date's at 6, right? I-It's just pass ten… we still have until midnight… Kurama?"

Yusuke sobbed loud…

"Kurama!!! wake up… please… stand… move!..."

Yusuke's looked at his friend's face: the lips were smiling but the eyes were missing something… life and happiness. Happiness that he deprived Kurama. Happiness he denied for his pride…

"Kurama, just wake up… we would date every night. Everday…"

…But Kurama is, forever, long gone…

"Kurama!!!!"

Wakas. (The end)

14

**TearStar:** hello! I hope you like it. this is my first real death fic… it's hard for me to really kill Kurama here… TT … hope you'd also support my other fics here! See you again! I mean… write you again!


End file.
